As
by whYFeL
Summary: A continuation of X-parrot's "Gang Aft Agley". Now it's Ginji's turn...


_Greetings to Get Backers fans,_

_This is actually my first GB fanfic, which I wrote especially for X-parrot's fic, "Gang Aft Agley" under my previous name. Sorry for putting it up late, but I lost the original copy, and had to ask my friend to resend it to me. And I still haven't got a good name for it ... ;; Please enjoy, and leave reviews, ne?_

_A thousand thanks (again) to X-parrot, who was nice enough to be my first reviewer and gave me the green light to put this up. And I definitely don't own GB (sighs)… but I can at least dream, can't I?_

* * *

Amano Ginji watched with exasperated affection as Midou Ban quickly fell into an exhausted slumber, his forehead warm and his breath slightly ragged from the cold. The young man quietly got up and covered his partner with the blanket, then went over to the to the tiny table where Ban had left his belongings and dug into the wallet to find out how much they have left. 

"Almost 300 yen left… not much money…" he muttered to himself. Definitely not enough to rent the room for another night, but probably enough for some cheap ramen, or at least some sandwiches. He sighed ruefully as he glanced towards his sleeping partner, feeling immensely guilty as he noted the flushed face. His eyes immediately traveled up to the overhead light bulb he had unconsciously exploded last night, and he bit his lip as he recalled what happened. Not wanting to trouble any of his other friends, but knowing he had to do something, he straightened up with a determined look on his face and went to find the hostel owner. With promises of bringing enough cash to cover a second night rent, he left a hasty note for Ban – in case he woke up – and hurried outside in search of breakfast – and a payphone.

Half an hour later, Hevn stepped out of her car, a shiny white Chevrolet, and crossed over the road, heading towards a shabby-looking café. Ginji, who had been fidgeting anxiously outside the café, jumped at once when he saw her approaching and half-ran towards her. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"Hey, hold on, Gin-chan. I just got here," she replied huffily, smoothing her extremely short skirt. He immediately subsided with a blush, flashing a contrite look.

"Gomen, Hevn-san," he mumbled.

Hevn smiled kindly. "It's all right. Here's the case," she said, handing him a thin file. "Are you sure you want to take this?"

He perused the content slowly before looking up with a smile. "Of course. It seems easy enough." His smile faltered slightly as he added, almost in a whisper, "Besides, I need the money."

Hevn pretended not to hear. "If that's the case, I'll take you there then, since you can't possibly go there by foot. C'mon."

He nodded wordlessly as he climbed into the passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt, knowing full well how fast she could drive. Sure enough, they reached their destination – a secluded, run-down estate out of Shinjuku – in well under two hours.

Ginji took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing. Wish me luck, Hevn-san." He smiled cheerfully, and with a wave, he was gone. Hevn discreetly parked behind a cluster of bushes to wait him out.

**_aaaa_**

Hevn had already started the engine as soon as she spotted Ginji sprinting towards her, a slender black box under one arm. He deftly jumped into the car with a shout, "Go!" She quickly pressed on the gas, leaving the small group of thugs who was chasing him in a cloud of smoke and cursing audibly.

"Hevn-san! I got it!" he panted with a huge smile on his face. "I told you it was easy!"

"Good job, Gin-chan!" she yelled back as she slowed down marginally to look at him. "Oh dear," she sighed.

"What?" he asked, puzzled, then reached out to touch his strangely wet cheek. "Oh, this. It's nothing, really."

She knew that, but still… "Here," she said, flicking open the compartment and taking out a first-aid kit, shoving it towards the young man. "Take care of the wound. I don't want you to meet the client like that."

He quietly complied with murmured thanks, and the rest of the journey was filled with silence.

_**bbbb**_

As they stepped outside the simple restaurant, full and with a substantial amount of payment from the grateful client, Hevn glanced at Ginji's slightly troubled expression and frowned. "Gin-chan?"

He started, but quickly covered it with a smile. "Yes, Hevn-san?"

"Hmm… you don't seem too happy about this job."

He vehemently shook his head. "No, it's not that." His smile seemed slightly strained at that. "I just want to return as soon as possible, that's all."

"Ah…" she nodded in understanding. Ginji had already told her on the phone why he needed a job badly. "So, you need another lift?"

Ginji rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed look. "Erm… if it's not too much trouble?"

Hevn smirked lightly, sashaying in front of a confused Ginji with a hand resting on his chest. "It's never too much trouble with someone as cute as you, Gin-chan…" she pouted seductively, wriggling her hips a little for good measure.

The poor boy blushed deep crimson, looking as though he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen, especially since Hevn's position left him quite free to view her… generously endowed attributes. "Ah… er, Hevn-san…" he managed faintly, trying hard not to stare at her barely clad self.

She merely giggled wickedly in response, then deciding to pity him, she pulled away and moved towards the Chevrolet, now sporting tiny splashes of mud and dust. She stifled another giggle with her hand when she heard his exhaled breath of relief. Joining her in the vehicle, he took out the money he just received from the envelope and began counting carefully. Seemingly satisfied, he handed part of it to her. "Here, your fee."

She stared with a raised brow, leaving the keys jangling in the ignition. "How did you know?"

He smiled proudly. "Ban-chan sometimes let me count it for him."

She sighed good-naturedly. "Never mind, Gin-chan. I won't take it – this once, since you've been nice to me." At his protests, she held up a hand to stop him. "It's all right. I can get by without it. Besides, seems like you need it more than I do."

He looked down. "Thanks, Hevn-san," he said quietly. "But Hevn-san…?"

"Hmm?" she replied absently as she turned on the keys and the car obediently purred into life.

"Can you… err, not tell Ban-chan about this? I mean, if he asked anything, just say you don't know, okay?"

She looked at him. "Why?"

He concentrated on putting back the money inside the envelope. "I – well, I don't want him to worry about it. He's been worrying about me a lot lately, so…"

She shook her head in mock exasperation. "You guys…"

He smiled briefly at that. Hevn, unable to resist the pleading look in his soulful brown eyes, sighed. "Fine, if you say so."

"Thanks again, Hevn-san," he murmured gratefully.

"You're such a good boy, Gin-chan," she replied with a kind smile. "But what about the cut on your face, then?"

His hand gingerly touched the plaster on his cheek. "I'll think of something, I guess."

She said nothing, but her expression had become thoughtful. As they sped toward the hostel, she decided to satisfy her curiosity, about something that had been on her mind for quite some time. "Ne, Gin-chan, can I ask you something?"

He turned to her with a questioning look. "What is it, Hevn-san?"

"I was wondering..." She hesitated for a moment, but this was Ginji, so it would be all right. "I was wondering, what _is_ Ban-kun like, to you?"

Ginji didn't reply outright, his normally open, happy face turning serious as he gazed outside, letting the wind whipping his cheeks. She had nearly thought he didn't want to answer, was on the verge of dropping it off when he said quietly, "Ban-chan... he's actually a nice guy, once you really get to know him."

Hevn blinked, nearly slamming on the brakes in her surprise. Sure, she had somehow guessed what his answer would be, being him, but to actually hear it... "Oh?" she said neutrally, trying to cover her reaction.

Ginji didn't seem to realize however, lost in his thoughts and memories. "He's very brash, and always like to pick a fight with just about everyone," he mused. "He calls me an idiot a lot, and always hit my head for no apparent reason. I can list down a lot of bad things about him, in fact – probably enough to compile a book." He smiled thinly at his poor attempt at humor.

"But underneath all that... it may be hard to believe, but he does have a soft side. It's very hard for him to trust people, but once he put his trust into someone, he'll defend it – with his own life, if it comes to that." Just as he had in Mugenjou... Ginji mentally shook it off. "I know he's very smart and has seen a lot more than I do, and he keeps many secrets from me –" To protect me... "—but I don't mind. I trust him completely, and he seems to trust me, so I guess it works out fine," he shrugged with a crooked smile.

Hevn mulled over his words. Come to think of it, Ban usually acted superior and wary towards anyone else, but with Ginji, he seemed more... relaxed, for one. More tolerable, for another, which wasn't often. And he certainly possesses some sort of a sixth sense where his partner's welfare was concerned, as he had demonstrated a number of times. Still... "So you don't mind that he never told you anything about his past?" she pressed on.

Ginji firmly shook his head. "No... I know he's been through a lot of painful things –" Like Yamato-san... "—so I never ask him. If he feels like telling me, then I'll listen." He faced the woman then, and risking a sideways glance, she saw that he was smiling a genuine smile this time. "Besides, why look at the past when you have the future in front of you?"

Typical naive, positive Ginji thinking. She had to smile. "Someday you'll get into trouble with that kind of thought," she cautioned him.

"Maybe so," he replied with a grin. "But I can always count on Ban-chan to bail me out, right?"

She could find no word to refute him, so she settled with ruffling his hair. "Gin-chan, sometimes you amaze me."

He ducked his head and blushed for the third time that day, and she laughed at his expression.

_**cccc**_

It was growing late, and Ban was still sound asleep by the time Ginji silently tiptoed into the room, having settled the room payment with the owner and buying food for both of them, which still left him with enough for a few more days. His partner was lying on his stomach, his arms and legs everywhere, the blanket discarded long ago by his feet. Sighing with relief, Ginji put the stuff he just bought on the floor and went to the side of the bed to check on him.

He certainly look a lot better, Ginji decided as he studied the sleeping face, no longer flushed. Before he could feel his partner's forehead however, Ban stirred, then cracked open an eye. "Ginji?" he mumbled drowsily, rubbing his other eye with a yawn.

"I'm here, Ban-chan," he answered cheerfully as Ban groggily propped himself up, a hand rubbing his face as he gradually became awake. "Look at what I got!" Ginji gestured towards the plastic on the floor.

Ban frowned as he followed the direction of his partner's finger. "How did you get those? And where the hell have you been?" he demanded, swinging his feet to the floor and stretching. "I woke up a while ago and you weren't here—" he yawned again, "—and that stupid note you left was almost unreadable." He wasn't about to admit it, but he had been… alarmed – well, more like scared – when he woke up an hour or so ago to find his partner missing.

Ginji grinned guilelessly. "Oh… I went out to find a job, but then the hostel owner asked me to pick up some stuff for him. And he paid me well, so I went shopping a bit," he said just a little too fast. Ban shot him a look that clearly spoke volumes, but let the matter drop for now.

"Anyway, you feeling better now?" Ginji continued, rummaging through the plastic content and taking out two large bento boxes, which he carried to the bed, handing Ban one and opening his own.

Ban searched his face for a while longer before giving up, pulling open the lid and gingerly tasting it. "Not bad," he commented as he began to dug in. "I'm fine… though the damn springs kept poking at my back. But yeah, the sleep kinda helped." He glared at his partner. "Just promise me never to fall sick again. Ever."

Ginji nodded solemnly. "I know. I'm sorry, Ban-chan," he said contritely.

"Damn well you should be," Ban muttered, though there was no real heat in his tone. He lightly punched the other man on the shoulder. "But I'll scold you about it later. Now eat."

Ginji nodded again. Just as he was about to take a bite, though, Ban added, "And Ginji?"

"What, Ban-chan?"

"Thanks… and be more careful next time, okay?" He gently fingered the plastered cheek with a soft look in his eyes, before he resumed eating.

Ginji wasn't quite sure what Ban had meant, but he was grateful for those simple words. "I guess Ban-kun does deserve someone like you, after all," Hevn had said before she left, her eyes glowing warmly. "Or maybe you guys really deserve each other. I don't know. But take care of him, Gin-chan."

And he would, he knew it without a doubt. Just like Ban had always protected him, he had pledged to always take care of his partner in return, as it should be. As long as the "s" remains in Get Backers.


End file.
